Dolphins hope bye jump-starts struggling offense while Colts try to move above .500 mark

Miami (2-3) at Indianapolis (3-3)

Sunday, 1 p.m. EDT, Fox

BetMGM NFL Odds: Colts by 3 1/2.

Series record: Dolphins lead 48-28.

Against the spread: Dolphins 1-4; Colts 5-1.

Last meeting: The Colts beat the Dolphins 27-17 on Oct. 3, 2021, at Miami.

Last week: Dolphins had bye after beating Patriots 15-10 on Oct. 6; Colts beat Titans 20-17.

Dolphins offense: overall (23), rush (18), pass (26), scoring (32).

Dolphins defense: overall (5), rush (18), pass (3), scoring (19).

Colts offense: overall (13), rush (17), pass (15), scoring (16).

Colts defense: overall (30), rush (31), pass (26), scoring (18).

Turnover differential: Dolphins minus-2; Colts plus-1.

RB Raheem Mostert. The former Purdue star had 80 yards on 19 carries against the Patriots after missing the previous three games with a chest injury. If De’Von Achane, who went into the concussion protocol in the first quarter against New England, can’t play, Mostert will likely get most of the carries.

QB Anthony Richardson. Coach Shane Steichen expects his franchise quarterback to return this week after missing the past two games with an injured right hip. Richardson gives opposing defenses another potential problem with his running ability. But how healthy is Richardson? And how long will he stick around after playing only eight games in two seasons?

Dolphins defensive line vs. Colts offensive line. Miami's pass defense and overall defense rank among the NFL's top units. One glaring flaw: Sacks. Only three teams have fewer sacks than the Dolphins (nine) and in their base 3-4 front, the defensive ends have not had one. If the Colts don't have Pro Bowl center Ryan Kelly, they'll be starting two rookies — fourth-round pick Tanor Bortolini at center and right guard Dalton Tucker, who was undrafted.

The bye week has helped Miami get healthier — even though Tagovailoa remains on injured reserve. Achane was a full participant in Wednesday's workout, an indication he could be cleared to play soon. Starting safety Jevon Holland said he’s “day to day” because of a broken bone in his hand and he could potentially play with a cast on it. ... If Richardson has any unforeseen issues, 39-year-old Joe Flacco will get the call. Flacco, the Super Bowl 47 MVP, has been solid in all three appearances with Indy this season, winning twice. ... Jonathan Taylor, the 2021 NFL rushing champ, will miss his third straight game with a sprained ankle. ... Kelly was a full participant in Friday's light workout and appeared on track to play. ... Six players were listed as questionable: WRs Michael Pittman Jr. (back), Alec Pierce (shoulder) and Josh Downs (toe); DE Dayo Odeyingbo (hamstring); RT Braden Smith (knee); and LB E.J. Speed (knee).

Indianapolis has won three of the past four in this series. ... The Dolphins dominated this matchup from 1977-1987, winning 18 of 19 games, including 11 straight in a then-AFC East series. The Colts finally ended their long skid with a 40-21 victory at Miami in November 1987. ... Miami won both playoff matchups between these franchises, but the Colts are 1-1 in Super Bowls played on the Dolphins home field — beating the Bears in Super Bowl 41 and losing to New Orleans three years later. ... Hall of Fame QB Peyton Manning made his NFL regular-season debut against the Dan Marino-led Dolphins on Sept. 6, 1998. Miami won 24-15 on a day Manning threw the first of his 539 TD passes and three interceptions.

The Dolphins had a bye last week and are 2-0 in post-bye week games under coach Mike McDaniel. ... Miami needs two more wins to become the 19th franchise with 500 wins. ... The Dolphins have scored only 30 total points since Tagovailoa went down. ... Miami has a league-best 14 plays of 50 or more yards since the start of the 2023 season but is averaging a league-low 12 points per game this year. ... Skylar Thompson replaced Tagovailoa as the starter in Week 3. QB Tyler Huntley started the past two games for his hometown team. ... The Dolphins had a season-high 41 carries in Week 5 led by rookie Jaylen Wright who had a career-best 86 yards in a win over the Patriots. ... Former Purdue star Raheem Mostert returned in Week 5 after missing three games with a chest injury. ... WR Odell Beckham Jr. has 214 yards receiving against Indy. He made his Dolphins debut against New England. ... Miami's defense has allowed a third down conversion rate of 25.5%, the stingiest rate in the NFL. ... The Dolphins have pitched shutouts in eight of the 20 quarters they've played this season. ... Miami K Jason Sanders has made a franchise-record 82.8% of his field goals in seven seasons. ... Indy has won three of its past four and two straight at home, but the Dolphins won the most recent matchup in Indianapolis, 16-12 in November 2019. ... The Colts have the league's highest conversion rate on third-and-10 or more yards (35.0%). ... Indy has allowed only 10 sacks through six games. ... Richardson is 4-4 in eight career starts and has only finished four games he started. ... Flacco has thrown three TD passes in the fourth quarter the past two weeks. ... Pittman played through his back injury last week and caught the winning TD pass at Tennessee. He needs 65 yards to become the fifth receiver in team history with 4,000 yards in five or fewer seasons. ... LB Zaire Franklin has the most tackles (405) and most double-digit tackle games (24) since 2022. ... Indy's defense is tied for third in the NFL with two red zone takeaways this season and leads the NFL with 282 solo tackles since 2024. ... The Colts are allowing an average of 25.2 points over their past four games.

Dolphins defense. With so many injury questions, the safest play appears to be taking a Miami defense that has held up — with or without Tagovailoa.

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

Tennessee Titans running back Tony Pollard (20) is stopped by the Indianapolis Colts during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/John Amis)

Indianapolis Colts head coach Shane Steichen watches during the second half of an NFL football game against the Tennessee Titans, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/John Amis)

Tennessee Titans running back Tony Pollard (20) is tackled byIndianapolis Colts' Jaylon Carlies (57) during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/John Amis)

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Joe Flacco throws during the first half of an NFL football game against the Tennessee Titans, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

New England Patriots wide receiver DeMario Douglas hangs onto the ball as Miami Dolphins linebacker Jordyn Brooks (20) tries to block during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024, in Foxborough, Mass. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel took at the play sheet during the first half of an NFL football game against the New England Patriots, Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024, in Foxborough, Mass. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — The father of former One Direction star Liam Payne arrived in Buenos Aires on Friday to arrange for the return of his son's body to England two days after the famous boy band singer fell to his death from a hotel balcony.

After landing at the Buenos Aires International Airport in the early morning hours, Geoff Payne was photographed emerging in a blue suit from a downtown hotel accompanied by British consular officials. He was hustled by security officers into a sleek van with black-tinted windows.

Payne visited the Buenos Aires morgue to identify his son's body before heading to the local prosecutor's office, which is investigating the case as a matter of protocol, to organize the repatriation of his son's remains, Argentine authorities said. He later stopped at the Casa Sur Hotel where Payne died to collect his son's belongings, where throngs of distraught Argentines had gathered for the third straight day to pay their respects.

A chain of young fans with linked arms maintained effective crowd control as Payne squeezed past the flowers, photos and hand-written cards piled outside the hotel in tribute to his son. He paused at the makeshift memorial, leaning down to pick up a photo of Liam before thanking everyone and disappearing into the hotel.

“I felt sick to my stomach because I couldn’t say goodbye to him,” said Mara Dorf, one of the fans at the scene.

It's the first time that any of Payne's family members have been seen publicly since the star's sudden death, which set off a global outpouring of grief and emotion from major pop industry figures and diehard One Direction fans. The shock hit particularly hard at home, with his family saying in a statement hours after his death that they “are heartbroken.”

“Liam will forever live in our hearts and we’ll remember him for his kind, funny and brave soul,” it said. “We are supporting each other the best we can as a family and ask for privacy and space at this awful time.”

In media interviews over the years, Payne had expressed gratitude and affection for his auto mechanic father and nurse mother, describing them as hard-working and supportive. Both parents made cameos in “One Direction: This Is Us,” the 2013 concert documentary about the popular boy band.

“When I see him on stage I absolutely burst with pride, but we do miss him so much,” Payne's mother, Karen, said at one point in the film.

The 31-year-old singer's final hours at the Casa Sur Hotel in Palermo, a trendy neighborhood of Buenos Aires, remain murky as Argentine prosecutors say he appeared to have excessively consumed drugs and alcohol. The prosecution cited investigators who found Payne's hotel room a mess with what appeared to be narcotics and alcohol strewn about broken objects and furniture.

It remains unclear whether Payne intentionally jumped or accidentally fell from the third floor. The autopsy performed a few hours after his death showed he died from the plunge, which caused “multiple trauma” and “internal and external bleeding” in the skull, chest and abdomen and limbs. The results of toxicology reports are pending.

Investigators said that there were no signs of anyone else being involved in his death, citing a lack of defensive wounds on Payne's body that also indicates he did not try to protect himself from the fall. The prosecutor's report said Payne could have fallen into a state of semi-consciousness or unconsciousness.

In the media frenzy over the case, the gossip and celebrity news site TMZ had drawn particular backlash for publishing a cropped image that purported to show Payne’s body, with his identifying tattoos, sprawled on a wooden deck after his fall.

The site later pulled the image under a torrent of criticism. But the fallout continued on Friday when the Girls Aloud singer Cheryl — Payne's former girlfriend and the mother of his son, Bear — posted a powerful statement on Instagram in implicit response.

“What is troubling my spirit most is that one day Bear will have access to the abhorrent reports and media exploitation we have seen in the past two days,” she wrote. “Please give Liam the little dignity he has left in the wake of his death to rest in some peace at last.”

Associated Press journalist Christian Kovadloff in Buenos Aires, Argentina, contributed to this report.

Geoff Payne, center, the father of former One Direction singer Liam Payne, is escorted by police officers as he arrives to the Casa Sur Hotel where his son fell to his death from a hotel balcony, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Friday, Oct. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

Fans of former One Direction singer Liam Payne stand outside the hotel where he was found dead after falling from a balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

Police restrain fans gathering outside the hotel where former One Direction singer Liam Payne was found dead after he fell from a balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

Geoff Payne, the father of the late ex-One Direction singer Liam Payne, leaves his hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina, two days after his son died, Friday, Oct. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Mario De Fina)

Fans of former One Direction singer Liam Payne gather at the Obelisk to honor him one day after he was found dead at a hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

FILE - One Direction members, from left, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan and Liam Payne perform on NBC's "Today" show, Nov. 13, 2012 in New York. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP, File)

Fans of former One Direction singer Liam Payne gather at the Obelisk to honor him one day after he was found dead at a hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Victor R. Caivano)

An ambulance carrying the body former One Direction singer Liam Payne leaves the hotel where he was found dead after he fell from a balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

FILE - One Direction members, from right, Liam Payne and Harry Styles perform on ABC's "Good Morning America" at Rumsey Playfield/SummerStage on Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2015, in New York. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP, File)

A picture of former One Direction singer Liam Payne sits surrounded by flowers and candles as fans gather outside the hotel where he was found dead after falling from a balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

Geoff Payne, the father of the late ex-One Direction singer Liam Payne, center, leaves his hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina, two days after his son died, Friday, Oct. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Mario De Fina)